Female leadership at AIS powers Thailand’s digital transformation

Going beyond a traditional network provider, Advanced Info Service (AIS) is now playing a crucial role as “digital intelligent infrastructure” that is driving Thailand’s digital transformation—creating opportunities for users in a way that is inclusive, accessible and equitable.

Much of this has been shaped by Kantima Lerlertyuttitham, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Corporate Officer of AIS, who has taken on a prominent leadership role at one of Thailand’s major telecommunications companies. 

She has played a key role in driving the organisation forward and strengthening internal talent, supporting AIS’s growth into a company that is both commercially resilient and committed to delivering value and opportunity to Thai people and society.

With more than 30 years of experience in management and organisational leadership across the private sector and state enterprises, she focuses on opportunity and equality through policies and projects designed to help everyone access knowledge and technology on equal terms.

Corporate strategy delivered through systems and ways of working

Kantima has played a key role in steering AIS from a “network provider” towards becoming “digital intelligent infrastructure” that supports the country across multiple dimensions.

Her focus is to ensure enterprise customers are ready to grow sustainably by shaping corporate strategy and turning it into real-world outcomes through “systems, ways of working and support mechanisms”. This aligns the organisation behind a shared foundation of “people capability + digital + operating systems”.

She underlines that caring for people is an investment in business success, because capable teams and strong systems translate into speed, quality and trust that customers can genuinely feel.

Kantima also stresses that leadership is not only about the frontline. It requires a strong “backline” to support delivery, manage risk and enable AIS to scale, adapt and grow “faster, better and more securely” through collaboration—building a solid foundation for the organisation.

Together, these elements form a critical base that helps AIS drive the business “faster, better and more securely” in a rapidly changing digital world.

Developing people inside and outside the organisation

Kantima is responsible for strengthening the organisation by developing people and building an internal culture that prepares AIS for transformation. She also founded AIS Academy, reshaping traditional employee training into an open knowledge hub for everyone—both AIS staff and the wider public.

AIS Academy has developed courses to strengthen the skills of more than 13,000 AIS employees, supported by a digital platform that allows all staff to access knowledge and develop themselves on equal terms.

It has also extended its reach to society through the “thinking-ahead mission” concept, launching the Academy for Thais programme. This provides Thai people with free access to world-class learning content, with up-to-date knowledge aligned with labour-market needs in the digital era.

In addition, AIS Academy uses technology to narrow education gaps through AIS ReadDi, a digital library that helps people with fewer opportunities gain broader access to books and learning resources.

An organisational culture that supports diversity and inclusion

Kantima prioritises building an inclusive culture within AIS so that every employee feels they belong. She reinforces the idea that “our differences help us grow beautifully”. AIS has therefore set policies that respect and promote diversity across gender, age, ethnicity, beliefs and employees’ ways of life.

She has also led the cultivation of the “FIT FUN FAIR” organisational culture—an approach that promotes employee wellbeing while emphasising equality and fairness at work.

A key pillar of this culture is “FAIR”, reflecting equal opportunities for all AIS employees. It focuses on openness and acceptance of diversity and differences, which has become an important foundation for organisational unity.

AIS is also among Thai organisations that have introduced benefits allowing employees of all genders to receive wedding support, as well as personal leave for gender transition. The company also prioritises equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities, using tools and intelligent systems that enable employees with disabilities to work effectively on a par with other staff.

For its strong performance in equitable management, AIS received an outstanding private organisation award for the protection of rights and the promotion of gender equality from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS), reflecting the organisation’s commitment to expanding opportunity and reducing inequality in society.

Narrowing social gaps

Kantima has played a key role in advancing the “thinking-ahead mission”, working with MSDHS to harness employee capabilities and digital technology to reduce inequality and create opportunities for vulnerable groups in Thai society.

This collaboration has driven major initiatives such as “Aunjai Ar Sa”, through which AIS employees share digital knowledge and support career development for communities with limited opportunities, as well as digital library projects that help people access learning content via online platforms.

AIS also uses its digital network as a tool to strengthen digital inclusion, ensuring that everyone can access digital infrastructure and services on equal terms.

Another key initiative she has pushed is the JUMP THAILAND HACKATHON, a platform for young people to present ideas and develop technology that can improve the quality of life for older people and persons with disabilities. The competition invites university students and developers nationwide to design innovations that can be put to practical use.

JUMP THAILAND HACKATHON not only gives young people a space to demonstrate their potential, but also serves as a model for social innovation—helping vulnerable groups use technology to improve their lives and aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on reducing inequalities and promoting quality education.

People at the heart: driving Thailand towards a sustainable digital future

AIS recently won Corporate of the Year 2026 in the “People & Culture Prime Award” category at The People Awards 2026, underscoring the organisation’s belief that it does not grow through technology alone, but through the “power of people” and the conviction that people are the starting point of change within the company, across society and for the country.

“This award is an honour and a source of pride for all of us at AIS, because it reflects that the ‘value of people’ is the heart of our organisation,” Kantima said, adding that for AIS, people are not simply organisational resources, but the driving force behind every transformation.

She said she believes real progress, both within organisations and nationally, can only happen when people are given opportunities, supported to develop, and feel that they are valued.

Kantima stressed that AIS’s mission is clear: to continuously strengthen people’s capabilities, both within AIS and among Thai citizens, by supporting lifelong learning and new skills—especially in digital and AI—while fostering an open environment where differences can thrive, and reducing inequality in tangible ways so that everyone can keep pace with the world on equal terms.

“The award is an important boost, encouraging us to keep moving forward in developing the organisation and Thai society sustainably,” she said. “We will build on this achievement by expanding learning and development opportunities for Thai people, so they can learn, grow and keep pace with the digital world on equal terms—helping to drive Thailand towards a stable and sustainable future.”

Through outstanding work in organisational development, people development, diversity promotion and inequality reduction, Kantima has demonstrated a clear vision and the ability to advance opportunity and equality through technology in practical ways.

It also reinforces AIS’s broader positioning as a leader in intelligent telecommunications, moving beyond the role of a service provider to become “digital intelligent infrastructure” that supports Thailand’s digital talent development, expands opportunity more equitably, and helps the country’s digital future progress together, sustainably.